Exodus 34:5-7 NIV - Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the LORD. And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin… God’s forgiveness flows out of his love/mercy/grace/redemption Psalm 86:5 NIV - You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in LOVE to all who call to you. Isaiah 55:7 NLT - Let the wicked… turn to the LORD that he may have MERCY on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously. Ephesians 1:7 NIV - In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s GRACE. Colossians 1:13-14 NIV - For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have REDEMPTION, the forgiveness of sins. 1 John 1:9 NLT - But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. Romans 3:23 NIV - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 10:9 NIV - If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Colossians 2:13-14 NLT - You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. WATCH THE VIDEO CLIP: Jesus Forgives Mary https://youtu.be/_zAFE2Xby2U What happens to our sins when God forgives? Jeremiah 31:34 NLT - "...I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins." Romans 4:8 NLT - Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of sin. Psalm 103:12 NLT - He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. What do we do with this gift of forgiveness? WE MUST BELIEVE IN JESUS: Acts 10:43 NIV - ...everyone who believes in [Jesus] receives forgiveness of sins through his name. WE MUST CONFESS OUR SINS: Psalm 32:5 NLT - Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the LORD.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. WE MUST ASK FOR FORGIVENESS: Luke 11:2-4 NLT - Jesus said, “This is how you should pray: Father, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. Give us each day the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us… WE MUST REPENT: 2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV - If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, THEN I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. WATCH THE VIDEO CLIP: Jesus Forgives Mary https://youtu.be/gFbyG3kE05k Matthew 18:21-35 NLT - Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven! “Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt. But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt. But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded. But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full. When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt. That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.” Forgiven people forgive Col 3:12-13 NLT - Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 2 Cor 5:17-19 NIV - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!